“What can I get you folks?” she asked, pulling out a small notepad.
“I’ll have the sliders with extra pickles and a chocolate milkshake!” Adele announced. I usually let her order first, then got the same thing.
“Make that two orders of sliders,” I said. “And a coffee. Black.”
The waitress turned to Dimitri, her expression shifting slightly as she took in his expensive suit. And then she flashed him a smile. “And for you?”
“The same. Sliders and coffee.”
“You got it,” the waitress said, scribbling down our order before disappearing.
An uncomfortable silence settled over the table. Adele, oblivious to the tension crackling between Dimitri and me, balanced her teddy bear that she carried everywhere beside her.
“So,” Dimitri said, his voice low enough that only I could hear. “Are we going to talk about this?”
“Not here,” I hissed, glancing pointedly at Adele.
“Then when?”
“Never would be preferable.”
His jaw clenched. “Isabella—”
“Mommy, can I have a quarter for the gumball machine?” Adele interrupted, pointing to the vintage machine near the entrance.
I dug into my purse and pulled out a quarter. “Stay where I can see you, okay?
“Okay!” She scooted out of the booth and skipped toward the machine.
The moment she was out of earshot, Dimitri leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “You can’t avoid this conversation forever.”
“Watch me,” I shot back, but my voice lacked conviction.
“She’s my daughter, Isabella.”
“She’s my daughter,” I corrected, my voice sharp. “You don’t get to waltz back into my life after five years and claim her because it’s suddenly convenient for you.”
“Convenient?” He looked genuinely offended. “You think any of this is convenient? Finding out I have a daughter I knew nothing about? Realizing I’ve missed four years of her life? That’s not convenience, Isabella. That’s—”
He cut himself off, running a hand through his dark hair in frustration. For a moment, he looked vulnerable, raw, and it reminded me of the Dimitri I’d fallen in love with all those years ago. The one who’d held me in his study that night and promised me forever.
But that Dimitri had made his choice. And it wasn’t me.
Adele came bounding back to the table, her hands cupped around a bright yellow gumball.
“Look, Mommy! I got your favorite color!”
I forced a smile, pushing down all the emotions threatening to spill over. “That’s perfect, sweetheart.”
She climbed back into the booth next to Dimitri, and I watched as he instinctively helped her settle in, his large hand steadying her small frame. The gesture was so natural, so paternal.
Our food arrived, and for a few blessed minutes, we focused on eating. Adele chattered away about her day, telling Dimitri about her coloring and the story Sarah had read to her. I watched as Dimitri hung on her every word, his expression softening as he laughed every now and then at something she said, even if her words weren’t particularlyfunny.
He was completely enamored with her. And that terrified me more than anything.
Because how was I supposed to protect my daughter from the inevitable heartbreak when Dimitri eventually chose his wife over us?
I couldn’t go through that pain again. And I sure as hell wouldn’t let Adele go through it either.